Location: Port St. Johns on the Wild Coast of South Africa
Sardine Run and Wild Coast Shark Safari
“The greatest shoal on earth!”
The South African sardine run
Possibly the most spectacular event you will ever have the chance to witness in the ocean, the world famous Sardine Run is an epic migration of millions of baitfish along the coast of Southern Africa. This yearly spectacle attracts marine mega fauna in their thousands. You may see enormous whales, schools of sharks, super-pods of dolphins and flocks of diving birds, all feasting on the river of fish at the same time. Witness nature in all its glory!
PLUS…
The wild coast shark safari
Weather permitting, when the action is slow we will chum for offshore pelagic shark species. Anything can show up on the Wild Coast but the three species that we regularly attract are bronze whaler sharks, dusky sharks and oceanic blacktip sharks.
If the visibility is suitable inshore, we will also reef dive to see ragged tooth sharks aka sandtiger sharks. There are one or two reefs close to Port Saint John where these ferocious looking sharks sometimes gather in great numbers.
THE ENCOUNTER
Bait ball diving with sharks, dolphins and whales. Plus expedition style shark diving on South Africa’s ‘Wild Coast’
2019
DATE
June 30-July 10 1 SPOT AVAILABLE
PRICE (USD)
$4,495 per person double occupancy
LEADER
Andy Murch
2020
DATE
June 30-July 10 6 SPOTS AVAILABLE
PRICE (USD)
$4,495 per person double occupancy
LEADER
Simon Spear
DETAILS
ACCOMMODATION
Land based lodge
EXPERIENCE LEVEL
Intermediate. Open Water certification required. Must have good buoyancy and be comfortable around big animals.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 10 Nights accommodation in Port St Johns
- All meals while in PSJ
- Airport transfers from Durban
- Daily transfers to launch site
- 9 mornings of chasing bait balls attended by dolphins, whales and sharks
- Spotter plane
- Occasional afternoon shark feeds and reefndives whenever logistics permit
- Professional Dive Guide
- Weights and tanks
- All meals & hot and cold drinks
NOT INCLUDED
- Flights
- Alcohol
- Personal dive gear
- Crew gratuities
- Spotter plane rides (if you want to see the Sardine Run from a different perspective)
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
Photo © Andy Murch
ITINERARY
| Day 1 | Pick up at noon at Durban Airport and transfer to our lodge in Port Saint Johns. |
| Days 2-10 | Weather permitting, each day we will head out on our sturdy RIB and hunt for birds diving on bait balls. Even if we do not immediately locate bait balls, we will likely still encounter transiting whales and dolphins to free dive with.
On some afternoons we will head to the reef and look for raggedtooth sharks or catsharks or chum offshore for pelagic species such as dusky sharks, bronze whalers and smooth hammerheads. Our daily movements will be based on the latest reports from our spotter plane and from local boats that we communicate with. |
| Day 11 | Early morning transfer to Durban Airport. |
Ready to sign up or have a question about this trip?
Contact Big Fish about this Expedition
Big Fish Expeditions
Big Fish Expeditions Founder Andy Murch has spent the last two decades chasing big animals all over the world. Few people have Andy’s knowledge and organizational skills necessary to put together a professional expedition. Have a look through some of the comments from our guests: testimonials.
Guest Feedback
OCEANIC WHITETIP
SHARKS 2018
I had an awesome time diving with you guys .. oceanic white tips had been on my list for so long! I look fwd to diving again with you some time soon!
Muraari
New York, NY
GREAT HAMMERHEADS, BAHAMAS 2017
Thanks Andy for having coordinated such a spectacular trip and especially for the group of divers that we had the pleasure of knowing and learning from their experiences.
Guillermo J. Ricart
Dominican Republic
GORILLAS AND PRIMATE SAFARI 2018
Oh, how I miss Uganda! Such a wonderful trip with you and Laura !! Great group of people, including our drivers, and all our guides!! Thank you so much for the most incredible time bigfishexpeditions!
Shanda R.
California
WHALE SHARKS 2016
A truly remarkable experience which exceeded all of my expectations. I have always wanted to snorkel with the whale sharks and this was absolutely the best way to fulfill that ambition with a world class company. Andy and Laura are awesome!
Alan M. Aliskovitz
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
ABOUT BIG FISH EXPEDITIONS
5 stars!
I’ve been on three trips with Big Fish Expeditions. Each one was well organized and jam packed with unique wildlife encounters. I am booked for another trip next year and for many more to come. Highly recommended!!
TIGER BEACH 2018
You HAVE TO go on these trips!
I had a chance last week to go swim in the Atlantic Oceans on the Tiger Shark trip and it was nothing short of life changing. We were treated like VIP guests the entire time and we ended up swimming with 6 different types of sharks including Tigers, Great Hammerhead, Lemon, and many others. Andy is a legend of a tour guide. The guy smiles all day and takes so much joy in doing these adventures.
Jimmy Rex
Salt Lake City, Utah
